Ten Years
by tiffywiffyfluffykitty
Summary: For ten years, Jellal and Erza had thought the other was dead. Now Jellal is a mass murderer and Erza is a bounty hunter out to catch him. How will the two resolve their problems?


**Ten Years **

Somewhere in Fiore, a young man stood alone, staring at his watch. As the clock reached 12, he watched with satisfaction as a gigantic ball of orange erupted in the middle of the city and grew larger, eradicating everything in its presence.

When it vanished, all that was left is a gigantic crater.

* * *

In a black Range Rover, four girls were cruising along a hot dusty desert littered with boulders and dry brown shrubs. In the back, a tiny blue-haired girl pored over her silver laptop while next to her, another blue-haired girl fawned over a picture of a black-haired man who was half naked while between them, a young girl held a white cat. The driver is a blond woman with large brown eyes while the leader, a scarlet-haired beauty who was deep in thought, fingered a large curved knife that stretched from her elbow to the tip of her middle finger, not counting the hilt.

The blue-haired girl with the book, Levy McGarden, was also holding a sheet of paper with a picture of a question mark and a caption of "Wanted: Dead or Alive." The print underneath the picture said,

_"Jellal Fernandes is a man wanted for the destruction of Onibus and several other major crimes of murder he had confessed to through a phone call after the Onibus bombing. Fernandes is extremely dangerous and is wanted for 1 million Jewels. Any information leading to his capture will be given a reward of 5,000 Jewels."_

"I can't find anything about him!" Levy said with frustration.

"We don't even know what he looks like. How will we capture him?" Juvia asked.

The five of them were bounty hunters, chasing after their quarry for the money whenever word of a dangerous criminal is on the horizon. Levy McGarden is the brain of the five, Juvia Lockser was once part of a criminal empire that ruled Fiore's underground until the others obliterated it and saved her from her past, so she is useful with her information about their prey most of the time as she knows most of them. Wendy is an orphan girl they rescued from a kidnapping ring and followed them wherever they went, Lucy Heartfilia was a runaway from the richer side of Fiore who had wanted to do something to right the world, and Erza Scarlet is their leader with a dark past that she shared with no one but Lucy, as they shared an immensely close bond.

"Juvia misses her Gray-sama," Juvia sniffled, naming one of the men in their group's headquarters.

"I miss Natsu too, but cheer up, we've lived when we were apart from them before!" Lucy said cheerfully, but Erza could see she genuinely missed her boyfriend as much as Juvia missed hers.

"Gajeel won't miss me at all. I don't care about him," Levy sniffed disdainfully even though her eyes were sad.

"I miss Romeo," Wendy said simply. Romeo and Wendy became fast friends as soon as she stepped into their headquarters, Fairy Tail, and many have whispered that the two were going to become a couple as soon as they were older.

As the girls in the back talked about the men in their lives, Lucy whispered to Erza, "Can you handle this job?"

"Don't look down on me. I won't fail," she replied in an equally quiet voice.

"Alright… But if you have trouble, I'll help," Lucy replied as Erza lapsed into silence again as her mind wandered back to her past…

_He pulled her to his side awkwardly as she cried. "Don't worry… We'll be fine…"_

_"How do you know that?" She asked as she sobbed._

_"Cause I'm going to find a way to get us out," he said determinedly. "You wait and see. I'll get us all out of here."_

* * *

_She screamed as they grabbed her._

_"Let her go!" he roared and attacked the men, knocking them down before taking her hand and dragging her after him. "You ok?"_

_She nodded. "Yeah."_

_He exhaled. "Good. Be careful alright?" He let go, and she suddenly felt a sense of loss. She noticed him frown as if something was bothering him and partially turned back to her before seeming to mentally shake himself and turn back around. "Let's go."_

_"Ok…"_

* * *

_He pulled her aside, allowing the rest of the kids to rush ahead as sounds of footsteps became louder and louder. "Listen. One of us has to remain behind to hold them off."_

_"I'll stay," she said bravely even as her palms were sweating profusely._

_He gave her a fond look, but quickly turned serious. "No. You have to lead them out. I'll stay behind."_

_She grabbed his hand. "You can't! We're all counting on you to lead us out!"_

_The last of the children disappeared into the hatch and the sound of voices were closer than ever. He threw a distracted glance above her head and grabbed her, pulling her close for a quick but intimate hug._

_She could feel his heart beating…_

_"Be safe, Erza," he whispered before pushing her away towards the hatch. "Go!"_

_The men turned the corner as she looked at him one last time, taking him in as he hefted the much- too- large sword. "You be safe as well, Jellal."_

_He smiled at her before slamming shut the hatch's door._

_She never saw him again since._

* * *

Now, ten years later, nineteen year old Erza Scarlet was still thinking of her past, how she was stuck in that factory, slaving over boiling hot machinery everyday without any breaks save for lunch. Fiore's army found out that the company that ran the factory had been using inhumane child labor and shut it down.

She liked to believe that Jellal had survived and tattled on the factory owners, but it was a vain hope. He couldn't have survived fighting those men.

And now she had found out exactly one hour ago after ten long years that he's alive. And a dangerous criminal.

Lucy let go of the steering wheel with one hand to grasp Erza's shoulder comfortingly. She always did have the uncanny ability to know when someone was in a bad mood.

Erza smiled at her as they pulled up in front of a dark and dangerous looking pub.

"We're here," Lucy announced.

* * *

Wendy was made to stay safely inside the Range Rover while the older girls went in. Levy was dressed in an off-shoulder white shirt and a black layered short skirt with ankle-boots, Juvia dressed in a tank top with blue short-shorts that complimented her legs and platform heels, Lucy wore a spaghetti-strap top with a black miniskirt with strappy stilettos, and Erza wore a black corset top that laced in front with black tights and knee-high heeled boots. Her knife was stuck into her

They strolled into the bar, already catching the attention of many people. "Spread out, look for anyone with bright blue hair and a reddish tattoo over his right eye," Erza said.

"How do you know he has blue hair and a tattoo? According to the web, nobody knows what he looks like!" Levy said.

Erza turned away and Lucy shook her head at her best friend. "I'll tell you later," she promised.

They split up, careful to keep their profile low. For Levy and Juvia, it was a little easier, but for Erza and Lucy, those two were getting whistles and catcalls every step they take.

In a shadowy corner, one man wasn't ogling the girls like everyone else was, but he was staring. He singled out a girl with flowing red hair and gasped.

She looked so much like _her._

But that was impossible. Those men told him that those kids were slaughtered when they got to the end of the tunnel. He saw the bodies of those children!

And one little girl with hair bright as the blood that stained her filthy white dress.

He stood abruptly. His mind was playing tricks on him. He recognized the blond though, and the other two. They are well known bounty hunters from Fairy Tail and there was no doubt in his mind that they were after him. He hurried to the back and as he did, he saw the redhead turn his way. There was no getting away from a fight now.

* * *

Erza saw a man with blue hair get up and hurry away.

"Jellal?" she whispered and followed him.

There wasn't much in the back, but the only room accessible to the public was the lavatory, which is hidden by a pair of swinging double doors.

As soon as she opened it, a blur of blue and black leapt at her.

She gasped and threw her knife, which missed and slammed into the mirror across the room. Thinking fast, she punched the man, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted it around, making her stare into his face while his other hand clenched into a fist.

Her mouth fell open with surprise. "Jellal?"

He froze with recognition. "Erza…"

Then Lucy burst in, guns roaring and he fled, jumping out the window in a burst of glass.

"What were you doing?" Erza howled at Lucy.

"Watching your back," Lucy replied, bewildered. "He looked like he was attacking you."

"He recognized me!" Erza yelled. She took a deep breath."

"Erza… this isn't like you," Lucy said cautiously.

"I want to talk to him," Erza said with finality. She ran out the door, Lucy right on her heels.

* * *

They chased after him with their car. Before long, they found a silver convertible streaking along the road with a mop of blue hair waving in the wind.

"Don't do anything stupid," Lucy told Erza, who was sitting in the backseat.

"I'm fine," Erza said, and opened the sun roof of the car, pulling herself onto the roof and jumping off.

She somersaulted in the air and landed on her knees on the hood. "Jellal!" she shouted. "Stop the car! Listen to me!"

He looked into her eyes and froze, mouth open, taking in her flying red hair and deep brown eyes. "Erza…"

The car stopped and she hopped off as he hurried out of the car to stand before her.

Her heart clenched. He was even more beautiful than the last time she'd seen him. He was dressed in a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the first two buttons open to expose his throat. His black jeans were tucked into black combat boots and he wore a black complicated-looking watch on his left wrist.

Jellal took in her appearance. "You look beautiful." He smiled softly, sadly.

"You too," she whispered. She took a deep breath. "I thought you were dead."

"I thought you were dead as well. They told me you were dead. I saw your body!" He clenched his hands, breathing hard. "They lied, didn't they?"

"We all got out safely," Erza said softly. "They tricked you into thinking we were all dead."

"Oh God." His breath came out in a sob. "I've been so stupid." He reached for her and she reached for him. He pulled her to him and buried his face in her neck and twined his hands in her rich dark hair. "I killed those people after they showed me your body. Then I spent the last ten years tracking down the rest of the people who tortured you in that factory. I killed them like how I thought they killed you. Then I destroyed Onibus because that damn company that owned the factory had its headquarters there." He drew in a shuddering breath, his tears wetting Erza's throat. "All I could see for ten years was your face and all I dreamed about was how your dead body was lying on that stone floor with your throat slashed. I thought I was killing them to avenge your death."

Her arms went around him and she clutched him to her as she sobbed. She could hear her friend behind her, watching as they held each other and cried.

"It's ok," she whispered and he pulled away, holding her by the shoulders. "We'll work something out together."

"You don't understand!" he shouted, tears still streaming down his face. "I killed them! I killed a few thousand innocent people in Onibus! I…I…" He stopped and crouched down, holding his head. "I can't be with you."

She knelt down to his level. "We can work something out," she pleaded. "I'll be there for you."

He looked at her with those desperate green eyes she knew so well. "You'll forgive me? For all those things I did?"

She gripped his arm. "I will. You know I will."

He pulled her in for another hug. "Thank you…"

* * *

Fairy Tail was as rowdy as ever when the Range Rover approached the building. Jellal hesitated. "Are you sure they'll accept me?"

Erza squeezed his hand. "Of course they will."

"Well, we're going to have to stop Natsu from beating your head in, but I'm sure it's going to be fine," Lucy said cheerfully.

Jellal shivered. "I'm scared now."

Wendy grasped his sleeve and smiled up at him. The girl had taken an immediate liking to Jellal after she found out he and Erza had a past together and had been stuck to him nearly all the time.

He smiled down at her and took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Lucy nodded and she and Juvia opened the doors of Fairy Tail, only to have a chair thrown right at them.

The chair hit both Lucy and Juvia at the same time and two brawling boys froze with dismay.

"Lucy!"

"Juvia!"

Natsu and Gray sprinted over to their girlfriends, worried looks on their faces. Juvia forgave Gray immediately as she gazed at him with her eyes turning into hearts. Lucy was angry, but relented after Natsu begged for forgiveness with a promise to take her out on a date to Magnolia's most famous restaurant.

The rest of Fairy Tail looked inquisitively at Erza's companion, who stood tall and strong by her side. Several girls were already whispering excitedly about how handsome he was, but Jellal didn't even spare them a glance.

"Erza, who is this?" Makarov asked her.

"I am Jellal Fernandes," Jellal said.

There was an instant uproar. Gray pulled Juvia behind him and stood in front of her protectively. Many others went into fighting positions and Natsu yelled at Jellal, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Everyone, stop!" Erza shouted.

"Erza, why did you bring him in here?" Makarov demanded. "This man is a wanted criminal!"

She took a breath. "This man is my lover."

Silence.

"Lover?" Mira gasped and squealed, falling to the floor with hearts in her eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gildarts asked, coming to stand with Makarov.

"Jellal and I have known each other ever since we were young in that factory. He helped me escape with everyone else, but thought I had died. He killed those people to avenge me. All this was a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding can't replace all those lives." Makarov scrutinized Jellal wit piercing eyes. "But at Fairy Tail, we give second chances to everyone, no matter their crime."

"Can I join Fairy Tail?" Jellal asked hopefully.

"You may."

He smiled and Erza reached out to hold his hand, smiling happily at him. Natsu approached him and punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"That's for making Erza cry over ten years," he said and helped him up, grinning childishly. "Welcome to Fairy Tail."

Thus, a start of another Fairy Tail party began.

Later, after a few hours of fighting and drinking, Jellal looked down at the sleeping redhead curled up next to him with her head on his shoulder and cake crumbs on her lips and he smiled and kissed the top of her head.

For the first time in ten years, he was finally at peace with himself and the world.

* * *

**I got this idea from the music video of Hate You by 2NE1 :3 Enjoy and review~! X3**


End file.
